A Visit
by sloshed
Summary: Postwar oneshot with RW, HP, NL, HR, ocs. After years away, it is time for Ron to pay a visit to his old friends.Please R


This is a oneshot with bit of a puzzle or surprise. Set after the war with H, N, Hr,R & couple of ocs.  
The usual disclaimers. No warnings allthough some questions might arise hence T.  
You paid for this? Caveat emptor :)

Thanks to Rach for questions thus pointing out a way  
to sharpen the twist and Strider pinning the bugs. - sloshed

A Visit

Ron had been away for six years. Of course he had not intended to do so, but sometimes the life takes things the other way.

He'd been helping Charlie around Eastern Europe. Also, he had joined in international semi-pro quidditch team, The DragonFlies.

Having maintained only a loose contact with his friends from Hogwarts, he knew there were children but not much else.

He had promised to visit them one day and now it was about the time.

Ron had got a letter from Harry telling that they were at Longbottom Manor because the Grimmauld Place needed more repair.

Having not visited at Neville's before, Ron had decided it was safer to fly there.

He landed on the path that led to a gate of cast iron. As he walked towards it, it opened itself.

He saw a boy trying to catch a ball bouncing around him. He noticed Ron who realised that the boy showed no sign of fear.

"Are you the friend of my father's and Uncle Harry's? They told me a friend of theirs is coming today," he asked instead.

"Yes I am. Oh sorry, my name is Ron, Ron Weasley"

The boy's eyes lit up. Turning around he ran away, yelling "Uncle Harry, your friend's here! Your friend's here!"

Ron smiled. So this was Neville's son. No wonder he had such a friendly eyes and was a tad stocky, already sporting strong shoulders.

Harry came half running, carrying the boy with him and involved him in a manly hug before putting him down.

"Really good to see you after all this time. Seems like you still have splattergroit," Harry half-laughed.

"And your hair is still the mess except longer," Ron stated in the same vein.

"I forgot to tell him my name. He's going to call me Peeves the Poltergeist or Doppelganger," the boy complained.

"No he won't if you are quick enough," Harry said to him in appropriately serious way.

"I'm Christopher Longbottom, or Chris. I know I should shake hands with you but mine are dirty."

He showed his green coloured fingers.

"I don't mind," Ron answered and shook Chris' hand firmly.

"By the way I brought something for you."

Ron rummaged his pocket pulling out something that looked like a black hard ball of leather.

"Keep it on your open palm and tickle it," Ron advised.

Slowly the ball revealed a pair of wings. Suddenly it popped open throwing a puff of smoke.

Chris dropped it in surprise but then grabbed the model dragon with determination.

"Thank you, Uncle Ron," he said in a dignified voice but could not hide the glee from his eyes.

"What kind of dragon is it?"

"It is a kind of dragon that does not exist anymore," Ron answered.

"Then how they did make this?" Chris frowned.

"They found a skeleton. The colour is invented."

"I'll go and show this to Helen. May I, Uncle Harry?"

"Do go. It is time for her to wake up, but be careful."

"She's been a bit feverish but it's over and she is sleeping it over now

I am babysitting for the day," Harry continued to Ron.

"Tough job," Ron grinned .

His eyes stopped into Harry's left hand.

"You wear a ring. Is that stone a rock-crystal? It looks great."

"Oh, yes, thanks. I got some help though"

"You did not tell you got married," Ron said turning serious.

"I am not married," Harry replied.

"But you wear a golden ring and have a daughter."

"Oh yes and we all are happy. There is quite a lot to do before we can get married though."

"Don't tell me a stupid age old law for muggleborns has been reinvented," Ron snarled.

"Oh no, it is nothing like that. It's just that the circumstances are somewhat exceptional."

"You sound like a ministry official."

"I think you'll find it out soon enough."

Ron looked at Harry seeing his eyes..twinkling very much in the way that Dumbledore's used to.

He decided to forget about it for a moment. Instead he picked a small parcel.

"I almost forgot. This is for Helen. It is a necklace of volcanic glass."

"Thank you, I bet she'll love it. By the way, Neville owns this place now. His grandma moved to live with her brother."

"Neville never told," Ron wondered.

"I know, but he hates some things that came along with it. There are sweet-talkers and strange people patting

shoulders of a young esquire and gentleman land-owner as they say. They think they will gain something, but

Neville knows them. His grandma gave him her book of pests.

It's been of good use to me too," Harry ended dryly.

Ron shuddered.

"Father often tells about those people in the ministry. Always ready to show up their faces

and even quicker to leave before the light turns off."

Harry nodded knowingly.

As they walked in into entrance hall, they heard Chris talking.

"Uncle Harry asked me to wake her up for the potion.

And look, I got this from Uncle Ron. He's on the yard with Harry."

"Ron? Did you say Ron?"

"Yes he did," Ron said from the door. Another hug involving Helen ensued.

"This little brown haired sleepyhead is Helen," Neville introduced smiling.

"Is she feeling any better?" he asked Harry, concerned.

"She has no fever and she slept soundly. I asked Chris to wake her up.

I'll fetch and warm up the potion for her and then she'll sleep again until dinner, I suppose."

Harry picked Helen from Neville.

"We will join you in a moment, if she stays awake," Harry said.

"I want to see mom," Helen mumbled, leaning her cheek on Harry's neck.

"Mom'll be home soon and we all will have a dinner together," Harry soothed her as they headed to kitchen.

"Sorry about this," Neville said to Ron.

"I just flooed home from work. Please have a seat. I think I'll conjure an afternoon tea.

Chris, go wash your hands in the kitchen so you can join us. Do you prefer coffee, Ron?"

"No need to be, and tea will be fine," Ron answered serenely.

As Neville poured the tea, Ron saw properly the golden ring with a stone of white quarz .

"So, who caught you?" Ron teased.

"What? Oh, you mean this." Neville clinked the ring against the tea-pot.

"Yes, that," Ron replied with a slight accusation in his voice.

"I am sorry. But you have not lost a thing. We are not married.

It's a bit difficult to explain but it's working all right," Neville spoke with warm smile.

Christopher joined interrupting them, sounding disappointed.

"Helen will miss our mom. She'll sleep again. Look, flames! It's mom!"

Hermione stepped out of the fireplace. Ron eyes were nailed onto ring with rock-crystal and white quarz.

A moment later Christopher sprinted to Harry who had already given the potion. Helen had fallen asleep in his lap.

"It 's Uncle Ron!" Chris panted, trying to control his voice.

"He's all red, speaks funny noises and is pointing to us and here! I ate a piece of cake too.

Dad did not put a spell on them!"

End


End file.
